Acceptance
by Deandra
Summary: In Theodwyn’s 17th year, she finds nothing is the same as it used to be. Part 39 of the Elfwine Chronicles, but this is a 3 chapter story.
1. Chapter 1

**_Part 39 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes._**

**_A/N: _****_Boy, couldn't fool you lot! Most of you rightly guessed there would be a romance between Freawine and Theodwyn! I began writing this awhile before I wrote "Choices", but set it aside to work on the Harry Potter story, and then was going to come back to it. Theodwyn got such a strong positive reaction in "Lost and Found" that I knew I had to revisit her. I originally had the notion for Theodwyn's "Faramir" to be Eldarion, but then I started writing this and put in Freawine. I decided that a local boy, not royalty, would be a better match for her. I can't see her being happy and thriving on the throne of Gondor. So, when I started writing "Choices", about her first crush, I couldn't resist foreshadowing what would happen a few years down the road. _**

**_Some of you thought 10 was a bit early for a first crush, but I tried to be a bit vague on that. She was having "feelings" but didn't really know what they were or what they meant, only that she "liked" Haman a bit more than other boys and it hurt when he made the rude remark about her. With Freawine, she has known him all her life since he and Elfwine are close friends, so her crying on his shoulder was mostly just as if she was crying on Elfwine's shoulder. Her biggest hurt was in feeling like she was being rejected for being a shieldmaiden and she believed that was who she truly was. She didn't see why she had to change for anyone (boys or girls) to like her. _**

**_I considered making this 4 chapters, which would have split that last chapter in two, but decided it was better read in its entirety. So this story is just 3 chapters long (a total of 14 pages, so they are long chapters). _**

Theodwyn is 17, Freawine is 25, Elfwine is 24

**Acceptance**

**(July, 25 IV) **

**Chapter 1 **

By the Valar, WHY must we have so many feasts! It seems Edoras is constantly celebrating – which entails food, drink and dancing. Though, in truth, I suspect the drink and the dancing are the real purpose behind most of it. It is not that I do not like dancing, but it is always so awkward. Before Elfwine married, he would dance with me often enough to make the evening amusing, as would his friend Freawine. But Elfwine many times did not stay the entire night now that he had a wife and child, and Freawine was frequently away with his eored, as he would be tonight.

_Freawine._ He had become my closest friend since Elfwine married. It was not that I did not see Elfwine still, but his concerns were naturally more with his new family now. I had come to love Dariel when she stood by my brother through the loss of his hand, despite his disagreeable attitude, but it did not make it any easier not having Elfwine to talk to as much as I had before. Surely Freawine considered me a mere child, but he was always willing to talk with me and listen to my woes, no matter how silly they must seem to him. But it was hard having him away so much. It really wasn't even such that we could write, since the eored was often on the move and not in one place to receive letters.

I flung myself backwards onto my bed. Why did life have to be so difficult? Why could I not join an eored and ride with Freawine?

My thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of my maidservant, and her chatter disturbed my musings. With a sigh, I rose to wash and begin to get ready for the feast. Mother and Father would not be happy with me if I came late.

Once I was dressed and it was time to go to the Golden Hall, I plastered the royal smile upon my face and headed out the door of my bedchamber. I supposed, if nothing else, I could attempt to persuade Theomund to dance a few with me. But I usually avoided that, since he was generally surrounded by a group of silly, giggling girls at these affairs. I did not understand how he could tolerate them, but that was just his way. I suspected that half the time they asked him to dance, and he would willingly dance with anyone who desired it. Though, that was not always a good thing – he had a bad habit of trodding on feet, part of the reason I did not like dancing with him. But his female admirers did not seem to object.

To my surprise, I was among the first to arrive, but there was no point in waiting elsewhere, so I took a seat near the fireplace and petted the dogs while I waited. I grinned to myself as I sat there. Everyone told me how I used to ride the dogs when I was two and not allowed to rides horses as much as I wanted. The dogs had eventually taken to hiding from me until I ceased that activity, and it took several years before they would let me come near them. But now those victims of my youth had long ago passed away, and their offspring had no such apprehensions about me.

My family and some nobles were beginning to trickle into the room, and I moved to take my seat at the head table. Thus, the evening began. Dinner was tolerable, chatting with my family, but my annoyance returned as the plates were cleared and the tables moved back for dancing.

In my younger years, boys had shown little interest in me, considering me too boyish and wild to think of as a girl. To some extent, that changed when Freawine had spent an entire evening dancing with me when I was ten. He was helping to cheer me up from some hurtful words I had overheard spoken about me by Haman and his friends, and it had indeed helped me overcome my distress.

As I grew older, though Mother respected my desire to be a true shieldmaiden of Rohan, she still insisted that I needed to learn the part of a lady. It was difficult to dispute her on this since even my Aunt Eowyn, who I sought to emulate, had been well versed in court etiquette and manners. So, over the last few years, my manners had become more acceptable for a lady, and the boys had grown several inches so that I no longer towered above them. In addition to that, some people had told me that I was a pretty girl, though I took little notice of the compliment. Boys, however, seemed to attach more importance to that, and were more inclined now to approach me to dance.

And so I found myself at a dance yet again, but with little desire to participate. I had moved off to the side, trying to be inobtrusive, but it did not work. I could see Haman and Deor sizing up the girls in the room, and more than once they glanced in my direction.

Lately, Haman had been showing more interest in me. He was the son of one of the nobles in Edoras, and very impressed with himself. No matter how earnest he tried to appear, however, I doubted very much that he had any real feelings for me. All he saw was the daughter of the king, who happened to be quite pretty. Those things alone drew his attention. He did not even know who Theodwyn truly was. At best, he merely tolerated my swordplay and shieldmaiden-type activities. For the life of me, I could not imagine why I had ever thought well of him. Perhaps he was not so insipid when he was younger.

To my great annoyance, I saw him making his way toward me and, unfortunately, he knew I had seen him so it would be rude to scurry away. It appeared as though I would be forced to dance with him, and endure his boasting chatter and self-centered conversation.

He reached for my hand as he came to a stop in front of me, but I knew this trick. He would kiss it politely, but then cling to it longer than was acceptable. I was ready for him and pulled it from his grasp the instant his kiss ended. I saw the flash of irritation in his eyes and was gratified by it.

As I feared, he wanted to dance. "Lady Theodwyn, would you do me the honor of dancing the next with me?"

Every part of me rebelled at the idea, but how could I escape? And then my eyes, looking past his shoulder, fell on a welcome sight. I did not know how it was that Freawine was here, but I was pleased at his presence. Thinking quickly, I smiled and tried to look apologetic, "I am sorry, Haman, but I have already promised the next few dances to Freawine." I nodded toward my approaching friend, "See, he comes for me now."

Before Haman could respond, I slipped past him and went to greet Freawine. As he took my hand to kiss it, I leaned close and whispered, "You have saved me!"

His lips brushed my knuckles a moment, and then his eyes lifted to meet mine as he released my hand. "Indeed. How so?"

The next song was beginning and I reached for his hand, pulling him along with me. "Do not make me out a liar," I whispered. "I told Haman I could not dance with him because I had promised the next to you."

He chuckled in amusement as we took up position, "Lucky for you, then, that I was available. I would never wish to make a liar of you. I am at your service, my lady!" He gave me a slight, mocking bow, and I lightly slapped his arm as we began moving.

We danced the next several in a row, and finally stopped, somewhat winded, on the far side of the hall near the outer doors. Grabbing some wine with one hand, I caught Freawine's arm with the other and pulled him toward the exit. He followed agreeably along, and we slipped out into the night. I led him around to the back terrace and we sat upon the steps there.

We were silent for some time and then he reached for my goblet of wine, telling me, "The least you can do is share, since you did not allow me to get my own wine before dragging me outside."

I glared at him, "How rude! No, I do not think I _will_ share with you!" I pulled the goblet away, but with his longer arms he easily reached around me and caught it, laughing.

After taking a sip, he grinned at me, "You are hardly showing your appreciation for my saving you from Haman!"

I laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "_That_ deserves more thanks than a mere goblet of wine, I assure you!"

"With such pleasant gratitude, I feel inspired to ask you to dance 'the next' with me always! There – now you have a standing invitation, and need only make sure I am present and available before using it to thwart would-be partners!"

We lapsed into companionable silence again after laughing together. At length, I began a conversation, "How is it that you are here, anyway? We did not expect your eored back for another two days."

He nodded, "It was planned so, but we had heard of the feast and Garod let us decide whether to ride longer and hasten our return, or come home as scheduled. The men did not want to miss the opportunity for ale and dancing with pretty women. Apparently I was the only one not very interested in hurrying our return."

I elbowed him in the ribs, "Liar! You like ale and pretty women as much as the next man! Do you think I have been blind all these years and did not see?"

He laughed again, rubbing at his side, "I did not think you blind, I just did not think you noticed!"

He sobered slightly and asked, "How have you been, Theodwyn?"

I sighed, wondering what to tell him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I finally answered, "I am well, but I should much rather be riding with your eored than sitting here trying to learn womanly pursuits and courtly manners. All that does is attract the attention of boys like Haman, who see me as a jewel to ornament their household rather than a person. Must I surrender who I am in order to marry and have a family? Is there not a man somewhere who can love a shieldmaiden?"

My questions were more rhetorical than anything, and I did not expect him to have any answers for me, but at length he replied, "Your Aunt Eowyn found such a man, though she had to go to war in Gondor to do it. Perhaps you will have to do likewise." There was an odd, sad tone to his voice that I had never heard before and wondered at.

I lifted my head and looked at him, "I do not wish to leave Rohan. Do you really think no such man exists here?" I was almost afraid of his answer.

He smiled gently at me, "We may hope there is. You are young yet. Do not despair." He slipped an arm around my shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

With a sigh, I lay my head back on his shoulder, "I have missed you, Freawine. I am glad you are home for awhile."

And then we lapsed into silence again.

It turned out that we did not return to the hall that night, preferring instead to sit and talk under the stars. By the time we realized how late it was, and slipped off to our beds, we had agreed to meet the next day and go for a picnic so we could talk more.

xxxxx

I woke as usual, feeling slightly let down at the thought of the boring day ahead, and then I remembered. Freawine had returned and we were to ride together. Reinvigorated, I bounded up from the bed and quickly dressed. I haphazardly combed through my hair, pulling it back in a long tail rather than taking the time to braid it.

I scarfed down a late morning meal and then hurried to the kitchen to arrange for a basket of food. Once that was obtained, I headed for the stable to saddle my horse. While I was doing so, Freawine sauntered in. "I thought I would find you here. Anxious to be on our way, I see." He smiled at me in amusement, so I made a face at him.

"We could have left sooner," I retorted, "if you were not so lazy about rising this morning!"

He let out a laugh and shook his head, "Nice try, my lady, but I have already been to the Golden Hall and seen my father, who mentioned that _you_ had just put in appearance a short time ago! I am not the only lazy one this morning!"

I laughed good-naturedly at being caught and handed him the food basket. He eyed me a moment, and then told me, "Let me take your horse while you go and get your sword. We must either go armed ourselves or take an escort."

I couldn't quite suppress the thrill of delight that shot through me at his words. _This_ was how I wanted it to be – men able to think it perfectly natural that I should be armed. I gave his cheek a quick kiss and raced from the stable, hearing his laughter trailing behind me.

Moments later, we were on our way. We rode slowly for awhile, to let the horses get warmed up, and then raced to a spot along the stream near a thick grove of trees. The sun had risen high in the sky, and was beginning to make the day quite warm. We tethered and tended the horses, and then settled down on a blanket in the shade of the trees. We were not yet hungry, so we talked for a time and then I grinned mischievously at him as I scrambled to my feet. "Race you to the stream!" I called, taking off down the slope.

I heard his shout of protest as he followed, and a moment later we had shed our swords and boots on the stream bank and were splashing in the water. Refreshed, and a bit tired, we collected our things and moved back to our campsite to eat. I had strapped my sword back on, but Freawine laid his down on the blanket while he went to get the food basket. I was squeezing the water from my hair, when I heard the voice.

Whirling around, I found Freawine with a dagger to his throat and two men leering at me. "Well, well, ain't this our lucky day. Two fine horses and a pretty little girl to play with!"

He licked his lips in anticipation of his evil thoughts, and Freawine exclaimed, "If you touch a single hair on her head, I will kill you!"

I had rarely seen him so angry, but the man just laughed as Freawine's captor pressed the blade a little closer. "Seems to me, you ain't in no position to do anything about it, boy!"

He had turned away from me to smirk at Freawine, and instantly I drew my sword. I was a shieldmaiden. I would not allow this insult without a fight. Freawine's captor laughed nervously, and nodded his head in my direction, drawing the other man's attention back to me.

"Oh, looky, the little girl wants to play! Put the sword down, missy, before you hurt yourself."

He took a step toward me, lifting his own sword as he did. My blade came up and in a flash I had knocked his blade from his grasp. As I swung my blade back into defensive position, he darted toward me and suddenly he was impaled on my sword point. The other man, without thinking, backed away from Freawine and took off running, leaving his companion to his fate.

I stood staring at the man, bleeding on the ground, my sword protruding from him and his dead, astonished eyes unseeing. I stumbled blindly a few feet away and fell on my knees, retching. A moment later, Freawine's strong arms encircled me from behind and he held me til the purging subsided. Pulling me to my feet, he turned me so I would not see the dead body. When I made to turn my head and look, he pressed himself in front of me. "Do not look," he whispered urgently in my ear. "It is over, and we must get you home quickly. Do not look." There was some note in his voice that I could not quite identify, but I did as he bid. I knew he was trying to help me.

He got me onto my horse and recovered our belongings. I was hesitant to take my sword, though he had wiped it clean of the blood, but he pressed it into my hand. His eyes met mine and he told me firmly, "You are a shieldmaiden of Rohan. Take your sword." With a swallow, I nodded and straightened in the saddle, resheathing my sword while he mounted beside me.

We were silent most of the way back to Edoras. Finally, still a few leagues out, I could stand it no longer, and pulled my horse to a halt. "Freawine, I have killed a man. What will happen to me?" I was beginning to tremble and I hastily dismounted, hoping to hide my silly, girlish reaction to all this. But my knees nearly buckled as I dropped to the ground, and once more Freawine was quickly beside me, putting a steadying arm around my waist and leading me to some nearby rocks.

He pushed me down to sit upon the rocks and stood in front of me. Quietly, he answered, "You were defending yourself. And he ran upon your blade. I am a witness to that. You will not be blamed for anything."

While his words were reassuring, still my trembling did not cease, and he stepped in closer and wrapped his arms around me. And then, to my very great embarrassment, he held me as I cried. I, who had tried so hard to be a good shieldmaiden, who had thought myself capable of riding to war, was sitting here weeping like some silly, pretentious girl that I so despised. I would be a laughingstock when it was discovered. Aunt Eowyn would be embarrassed by my cowardice. How could I ever hold my head up again?

It was almost as though Freawine read my thoughts, for he reached down and lifted my chin so he could look into my eyes. "No one, man or shieldmaiden, kills a person for the first time without being sickened by it. I have seen many who have killed someone, and seen their reaction. You have nothing to be ashamed of in how it has affected you. Indeed, I would be greatly worried if you could kill someone and have no reaction at all. There is a great deal of difference between sparring with someone and winning by gaining the upper hand, and in fighting someone to the death. When your sword takes a life, war does not seem so glorious a thing after all." He pulled me against him again and stroked my head soothingly, until my tears stopped and hiccupping breaths ceased.

Though it still felt weak of me, I clung to him, my arms around his waist and my head pressed to his chest. I was grateful that he had been with me for my first time in battle, and moreso that he was the only one who had seen me in my weakness. He would not tell anyone, nor would he hold it against me. Taking a deep breath of resolve, I forced myself to my feet and gave him a shaky smile. "Thank you," I murmured.

He gave me a tender smile and put an arm around my shoulders. "Let us get you home."

We returned to our horses and continued on to Edoras in silence. Once our horses were tended, we walked up to the Golden Hall together and I left him to go wash and change clothes. A short time later, I returned, hoping he might still be around, but found him in the midst of an angry group that included his father, my parents and Elfwine. Apparently he had informed them of what had happened on our outing, and my father was berating him.

"What were you thinking taking her out there without an escort?" Father bellowed.

Before Freawine could answer, I stepped into the room and moved to his side. I knew he would take the blame for me, but I had been the instigator of our outing and I should take responsibility for my actions. "Father, Freawine is not at fault for what happened. I invited him on the outing, and it seemed we would be safe enough since we were both armed. It was just an unfortunate turn of events that the two thieves got the better of us. We would have been safe enough had we been alerted to their presence."

My father was pacing angrily before us, but came to a stop in front of me and I blanched at the look upon his face. But suddenly he brushed a strand of hair back from my eyes and pulled me into a crushing hug, "You are unhurt?"

With effort I replied from where my face was pressed into his shoulder, "Yes, Father. I am well."

He pulled back to look at me, and I realized how frightened he was that something might have taken me from him. I had always known that my father loved me, but the look on his face right now made me aware of just how much he cared. I straightened and tried to stand proudly before him, and his eyes misted as a smile tweaked his mouth. "So like Eowyn," he murmured, almost too low for me to hear. But I smiled in acknowledgement of the comparison.

My father's eyes shifted back to Freawine and he moved to stand in front of him, his hands behind his back. His eyes bored into Freawine and I was amazed he could manage to hold Father's gaze. Finally, Father's hand came up and cupped the back of Freawine's neck tightly. "Thank you for seeing her safely home, Freawine. If you venture out on any more picnics, I trust you will be more alert to danger in the future?"

Freawine gave a half smile of relief, "Yes, my lord! You may depend on it!"

We all slowly dispersed after that, and I gave Freawine another grateful smile before he turned to leave. I saw Elfwine move to follow him, and knew he would not rest until he had pumped Freawine for all the details of what had taken place.

**_End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content. _**


	2. Chapter 2

_Replies to reviewers:_

_Crazy1 – Glad to have you checking back in. And thanks for confirming what I believe about crushes. There are some under 10 who get them, even if the norm is to be pre-teen or teen first (when the hormones and such kick in!). They don't necessarily understand what they are feeling and what it means, but the feelings are there all the same. _

_Blue Eyes At Night – "u must also (you knew this was coming) have a little ficlet about Elfwine's little bundle of joy! Can't let that escape :-)" – I haven't forgotten them! I realize there is quite a gap between Lost & Found and Acceptance. There are at least 2 more tales that need to go in between (asking Aragorn for her hand, and the first baby), but so far I haven't come up with any niggling ideas for plots to make them interesting! "Poor Eomer...first Eowyn now Theodwyn!" – You'd think he'd be better able to deal with Theodwyn after growing up with Eowyn, but he still seems as befuddled as ever! _

_Nienor Niniel – "I read them all (meaning the Chronicles)!" – Congratulations! That's no mean feat! Kind of funny that I'm at 39 when I only started out with 3 ideas for these, and didn't think I'd do much beyond that… _

_Jazzcat – "I'm glad you wrote all this from Theodwyn's POV." – lady scribe of avandell had mentioned wanting to see Freawine from Theodwyn's POV after getting Freawine's take on her in Catching Up, so I thought this was a good place to do it. _

_shie1dmaidenofrohan – "I have to admit that I find it hard to believe that Freawine could be 25, have been in an eored for several years, and not killed a man. Unless he was just busy killing orcs." – I know that seems a little odd, but my presumption is that this is some 25 years after the War of the Ring and that by now most of the Orcs have been gotten rid of and aside from a few skirmishes here and there, there's no real war going on in Rohan. Freawine has been in battle, and wounded others – he just doesn't happen to have killed anyone face to face like Theodwyn did. (He may have killed someone with a slash on his way to taking on the next foe and not seen the first guy die.) I always felt a little funny even having the Orc attack in Second Thoughts, wondering if they would still be that much of a problem 15 years after the War. That is why you will note they are attacked by thieves here (and is also the reason tighter security wasn't required for Theodwyn riding outside the city). **Further note: I later changed the passage in question above so that it does not say Freawine has never killed a man.**  
_

_Lady Anck-su-namun, Elwen of Lorien, Josie C – You weren't the only ones! Everyone seems to like Theodwyn! (Including me – she was great fun to write here.) _

**Chapter 2 **

I did not see Freawine for the next two days, and I found myself agitated because of it. I suspected he was staying away because of Father's wrath, but I longed to see him and speak with him. I had been more affected by the experience than I realized at the time, and I knew he would know how to console me. I had even written to Aunt Eowyn, telling her what had transpired, but I knew I could not expect a quick response.

When I could stand it no longer, I determined to seek him out the next day. I knew when his eored was in town and not on duty, that he made it a point to meet for sparring practice with Elfwine, so I headed for the sparring ring when I knew they would be about finished.

I had judged correctly and they had just ended their session when I arrived. Elfwine looked up and grinned at me, "If you have come to get me to practice with you, I am afraid Freawine has already tired me. Perhaps he still has the strength to fight you, though I would warn him against it since you are fresh!"

I made a face at my brother, but could not conceal a grin. "I did not come to spar. I know well that you married men are not up to the physical labor you once could do!"

I squealed and dashed quickly out of the way of the hand that grabbed for me. "Insolent! That is what you are! I leave her to you, Freawine. If you dare risk it, throw her in the stream. Maybe that will stop her mouth with its insults!" He laughed and waved farewell as he began the climb back up to Meduseld.

I turned to Freawine, who had said nothing since I arrived. I caught a strange expression on his face, that I did not understand, but he quickly concealed it and gave me a tired smile. As I looked at him, something stirred in my heart. I had never seen him looking so…discouraged. Was he troubled by the attack? By my father's anger? By something I had done?

I stood awkwardly, not sure what to say to him now that we were alone. He merely eyed me for a moment before turning toward the stream, and I followed along behind him. Once we reached it, I settled under a tree while he bent down to splash water over his head and chest to cool off. Then he stood and shook his head fiercely to rid himself of the water, like some large dog.

I squealed as some of the water hit me. "Careful where you fling that, my lord!" I laughed, wiping the splatters off my face. He smiled and came to sit near me, though he seemed tense.

My smile slipped a little, and I reached a hesitant hand toward his arm, "Freawine, is something wrong? Are you upset with me?"

His head jerked up at my last question, "No! Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I have not seen you for several days. I thought perhaps…" I wasn't sure how to finish the sentence, so I let it trail off.

He seemed to struggle within himself to find words, and I could not imagine why he was so different. Finally, he managed only to explain, "I am not upset with you, but I thought it best to keep my distance for awhile until your father calmed down. He was greatly displeased with me."

"It was not your fault!" I declared adamantly. "You were wonderful! And I am glad you were with me." Impulsively, I rose on my knees and flung my arms around his neck, resting my head on his.

I felt him tremble in my arms and looked down in surprise, just as he looked up at me. The look of longing in his eyes was nearly overwhelming, and my stomach lurched at the sight. Suddenly I was very aware of his nearness, the smell of his sweat, the green of his eyes, the water dripping from his hair.

When I was ten and had my eye on Haman, I'm not sure what it was that I felt. But this was something much different, much more powerful, and I felt it all through my entire being. Unconsciously my arms tightened around him, and before I realized what I was doing, I had lowered my mouth to his. I felt compelled to taste his lips, to drink him in. Part of me was certain he would push me away any instant, and display shock at my behavior, but I could not stop myself.

And then, slowly, his arms came around me, and pulled me down into his lap. I had never kissed a man before, but if this is what it is like, I am sorry I waited so long. His lips were achingly tender, and I felt bereft when he finally withdrew them. I felt like I could not draw breath in this wonderful dream where I floated.

Freawine was breathing heavily, as though he had run a race, and he leaned his head against mine, closing his eyes. "I should not have done that," he murmured, though to me or himself I could not tell.

I pulled slightly away, confused, to look at him with hurt in my countenance, "You did not. I kissed you. Did you…did you not like it? Did I do it wrong?" I was suddenly very aware of how young I must seem to him. He likely had kissed many girls who knew much more than I did, and I doubted he had regretted kissing them.

His arms tightened around me. "You did nothing wrong. The kiss was wonderful. But I do not wish to take advantage of you." He seemed to be struggling to hold back words, to not say everything that sprang to his lips.

Hastily I stood and moved away from him. At length I said, over my shoulder as he came to stand behind me, "You did not take advantage of me. And…and I am not sorry I did it." Abruptly, I turned to face him, "I do not know much of such matters, Freawine, but I have strong feelings for you. In fact, I think I may be falling in love with you."

I stopped, stunned by my audacity, and fearful of what his reaction would be. Surely, now, he would turn away. He would tell me he was too old for me and thought of me only as a sister. And then he would avoid being around me so as to spare my feelings. And I could not bear the thought of losing him, as a friend or as something more than a friend, and I began to weep.

His arms slipped around me and he pressed his lips to my head, "Shhhh. Do not weep, Theodwyn. Do not weep." His arms pulled me close against him and he held me in silence until my tears ended.

I looked up at him questioningly, and he tried to smile. "I have lost you, haven't I?" I asked with sorrowful eyes.

"No," he answered quietly, and firmly. "No. You have not lost me." He paused and considered a moment, then told me, "It is possible that what you are feeling for me is merely gratitude for my help the other day." He raised a hand to stifle my protest and continued, "I will always be your friend, Theodwyn. Nothing you say or do will change that. But do not confuse love and gratitude. Do not say you love me until you are sure that is what you are feeling."

I was bewildered by his words, and uncertain what he meant. But he moved out of the embrace and took my hand, leading me back toward home. He left me at the garden entrance, brushing his fingertips over my cheek before disappearing quickly down the street.

xxxxx

I did a great deal of thinking over the next few days. Though I saw Freawine several times, he seemed to make certain we were never alone together for any length of time. My reason told me that he wanted to give me time to sort out my feelings and come to understand what they truly were, but my heart yearned to be with him. I could not deny the terror of our ill-fated outing sometimes flashed into my mind unbidden, usually while I slept. I would awake with a start, in a cold sweat, until I recognized it for what it was. And I _was_ grateful for Freawine having been there with me, for his steadiness, for his calm reassurance in the midst of my alarm. But I could not see a connection between those events, and my kissing him down by the stream.

How could I be certain it was love that I felt, and how could I convince him that it was? More importantly, I had realized only later that he had never spoken of his feelings for me. I knew we were friends and that he very much cared for and about me, but did he love me in return? Was his trying to convince me I only felt gratitude a gentle way of trying to dissuade me, because the feelings were not shared?

He had said he enjoyed the kiss, and I did not think he would lie about that. And he had responded to my advances – he had not pushed me away or resisted my embrace. But it had been my observation that men were more than willing to kiss any girl who would let them; they did not need to love her. Was that all that it was for Freawine? A pleasant kiss given freely by a pretty girl? Nevermind that she was a friend, just take what was given without argument?

No! I could not believe that of him. I could not accept that he would receive my kisses if he had no feelings for me. I could not think him so callous that he would let me admit my own feelings, and not gently tell me they were not shared, rather than let me make a fool of myself. He had held back, but he had not turned me away.

With that realization came a joy that flooded through me, until I thought it must start oozing out of my skin. I wanted to shout my happiness to the moon and dance in the sunlight. I had wanted to find someone who could love and accept me as I was, and he stood right before me the entire time!

Coming to understand that you are in love with someone, and finding a way to let them know, can be difficult, especially if they are trying not to be alone with you. Clearly, I needed to be more creative if I was to corner Freawine and tell him of my discovery.

Suddenly those annoying feasts became my ally. Another was scheduled, and I intended to make full use of Freawine's offer to dance 'the next' with me – the entire night, if need be! Even if I had to whisper my feelings to him on the dance floor, I was going to do it. I wanted him to know how I felt, and I wanted him to admit his own feelings...and I very much wanted to kiss him again!

He may have suspected I would use his words against him, for he kept dancing with other girls so I could not claim him. I considered the matter a moment and then persuaded Theomund to dance with me on the next. He was easy to steer and I pushed him into line next to Freawine. As soon as the dance ended, that put us face to face and, smiling, I stepped toward him. "I believe the next is yours, Freawine."

He knew I had cornered him; I saw it in his eyes and he gave me an amused grin, finally bowing in defeat. "Yes, my lady. It is."

We danced in silence for a time, until finally we came together long enough for me to whisper, "You are avoiding me! Do not think I have not noticed!"

He merely smiled innocently and made no comment, but I was not going to let him escape so easily. Pretending to step down wrong, I stumbled and almost fell. As I anticipated, he quickly caught me. "I think I have twisted my ankle," I told him, and if he suspected anything, it did not show.

Immediately his arm went around me for support, and he helped me from the floor. He would have stopped at the nearest bench but I urged him further, saying, "No, not here. I do not want everyone staring at me, and I cannot examine it readily in this crowd."

Again, he made no argument and did as I bid. We hobbled out into the hallway that led to the family chambers, and I collapsed on a bench there. Stooping down, he lifted my skirt slightly and took the offending ankle in hand, probing it gently. "Does this hurt?" he inquired, slowly manipulating it. I faked a wince and nodded, eager to keep him preoccupied and in my company.

But he stood and asked, "Shall I go and bring a healer?"

_That_ was not what I had in mind, "Oh, no. That will not be necessary. Let me just rest here a bit and see how it feels."

I think he was beginning to suspect that my injury was all pretense, but he said nothing and took a seat on the bench, as far away as possible from me.

I wasn't good at these sorts of games. Girls played them, not shieldmaidens. We preferred the direct approach. "Why do you avoid me, Freawine?" I met his gaze and held it steadily. I would force him to answer me honestly.

But he broke the connection by dropping his eyes to stare at his hands. "I thought it for the best," he answered quietly.

I slid suddenly over next to him and caught his hand in mine. "Well, I do not think it for the best," I responded. Taking a deep breath, I pressed on, "I have thought much about what you said and examined my feelings over and over. I cannot see that what I feel for you has anything to do with gratitude. Not that I am not grateful you were with me and helped me through a trying experience, but you have done that before and I did not fancy myself in love then. My head has tried to study this issue from all sides and reach a rational conclusion. But my heart does not yield to logic. I am not concerned with the rationality of it, only that I feel strongly for you. And I can put no other name to that feeling but love. The more I have considered the matter, the more I am certain of it. I love you, Freawine. And I think...I hope...that you love me, too."

My words stumbled to a stop and I looked nervously away from him, anxious, but afraid, to hear what he would say in response. A moment later, his hand pulled free of mine and my heart sank, but then his arm came around my shoulders and he pulled me closer. For an instant, I thought my heart would burst with joy as I hesitantly raised my eyes to meet his. And there I saw what I needed to know. He did love me; he probably had for a very long time and I did not notice.

As much as I had enjoyed our first kiss, this second one was so much better, for this time there was no hesitancy or confusion on either part. We loved each other and our lips sought desperately to communicate that to the other person. When we finally parted, I was stunned to realize I was weeping. What had gotten into me that I was suddenly so weepy? But as I looked into the eyes of my beloved, I knew it was only overwhelming joy that I had finally found what I was looking for, and that joy had to be expressed in some way. Indeed, it seemed it _was_ oozing out of me!

The pretense of an injury was quickly abandoned, and we strolled to the garden where we could talk in private. It amazed me that I had known him my entire life, and we had been good friends for many years, but I felt like I was just now getting to know him. There were so many things he hadn't felt he could tell me before, and I thrilled at each new thing I learned about him.

Once again, we talked long into the night and finally, reluctantly, parted company. I'm not sure why, but neither of us was yet inclined to make our newfound feelings public knowledge. Perhaps because I was still so young, and we feared others would not believe my feelings were true. And I think Freawine was more than a little afraid of what my father would say when he found out. He had already felt Father's wrath and he was not anxious to rile him again. Surely Father knew I would eventually meet a man and fall in love, but I had to admit that he probably would not expect it to happen at seventeen. I had to agree that he was likely to react rather emotionally to the news.

And so we continued as we had before – the best of friends in public, but something much more in private. A few times, I saw Dariel watching me, and I think she was beginning to suspect that our feelings had moved beyond platonic, but she did not mention it.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Doggone if I didn't sit down and write another Theodwyn/Freawine story, this time a one-shot. It will be along after this one finishes posting._

_Replies to reviewers:_

_Tracey - Glad you are satisfied! I'm sure smor will be along when she gets a minute and tell us what she thinks of Theodwyn. This is the first in depth look we've had of her. The next story is actually sort of a prequel to this one (in that it takes place when she is almost 16, but not directly tied to this story) and gives you a bit more about her mindset. It probably would have been better to post that one first, but since I just wrote it after I started posting this one, that wasn't an option._

_Elwen of Lorien, Julia – oh, yeah. the parents. That fast horse might not be a bad idea… (see below) _

_Josie C – "How is it that when Elfwine and Dariel were falling in love, Lothiriel was ever present helping them through and giving them advice. And Theodwyn doesnt even get a small help..." - Josie, in the case of Elfwine and Dariel, it was clear that the two liked each other and just couldn't quite get together on their own. With Freawine and Theodwyn, he has been like an older brother to her all her life, and though he fell in love with her when she was 15 (see Catching Up), she still only saw him as a brother. He has been hiding his feelings for her, continuing to just be merely a brother and friend until she was old enough that he felt like he could make his feelings known without her father killing him, and hoping to see some sort of indication from her that she was beginning to think of him as more than a friend. So the parents are oblivious to what is going on. The two spend time together all the time, but they just think of it as her "hanging out with her brother when he's home from the army". If they had recognized Freawine's feelings (before or after Th. developed feelings for him), they would have reacted differently. Hope that makes sense._

**Chapter 3 **(change of POV to third person)

Dariel sat in the garden, looking up at the night sky. It had been a long hectic day, and she had welcomed Elfwine offering to put their son to bed. He had promised to join her here when he was done.

Usually the garden was very quiet, making it quite peaceful, but she was surprised to hear voices just outside the gate leading to the front of Meduseld. After a moment, she recognized Theodwyn's voice, and she was fairly certain the man with her was Freawine. The two of them had been showing a great deal of interest in each other lately, though they seemed to be trying to hide it. Even so, she was startled by the conversation that followed.

"If you loved me, Freawine, you would do this! We could be back by morning if we rode hard!"

The young man sighed, "Theodwyn, I do love you, but do not ask this of me! When we marry, I want it to be with your parents' approval. I cannot betray my king by stealing his daughter away in the night."

"Then you do not truly love me!" the girl replied angrily, and running footsteps told Dariel she was leaving.

"Theodwyn! Wait!" But Freawine did not pursue her and Dariel heard him moving away.

Dariel had become so involved in what had been said, she did not notice her husband approaching, so she jumped when he sat down beside her. "Is something the matter?" he questioned, noting her reaction, and the expression on her face.

"I...I am not sure that I should tell you, but I have just overheard conversation that concerns me."

He was looking at her curiously, then asked, "Why would you think you should not tell me?"

Dariel sighed, "No, you should know. You will know better than I what should be done. Theodwyn was trying to talk Freawine into running away with her and their getting married."

Elfwine took a sharp intake of breath. "That girl... What did Freawine respond?"

"He would not do it. He said he wanted her parents' blessing when they married and that he could not so betray his king."

"Well, at least one of them has some sense!" Elfwine snapped. "Father would break him in two if he pulled something like that! What is she thinking?"

Dariel slipped her arm around him comfortingly, "I do not know, but she is seventeen and fancies herself in love. At that age, girls are prone to doing foolish things, and Theodwyn is more fearless than most."

xxxxx

From Elfwine's perspective, there was never any question that he take this matter to his parents. He quickly found them and informed them of the conversation Dariel had overheard. There was no doubt of the rage Eomer was feeling – it was evident on his face. Tersely he directed Elfwine, "Bring Freawine to me. Now." Elfwine nodded and glanced imploringly at his mother as he turned to leave.

Lothiriel stepped to Eomer and slipped her arms around him, "My love, calm down."

"Calm down? I will calm down when I have soundly thrashed that boy!" Eomer snarled.

"Eomer! You will do nothing of the sort!" Lothiriel shouted, and her husband was so surprised by her outburst, that he just stared at her for several moments.

Before he could argue, Lothiriel continued, "Theodwyn is the one who suggested marrying in secret, not Freawine. Freawine refused to do it, refused to betray you and suffered the ire of our daughter for his honorable actions. You WILL NOT lay a hand on him!"

Eomer deflated slightly, but it was clear that he was still angry. "Why would she do something like this?" he questioned. "Why would she hide this from us?"

"Because she is Theodwyn, my love. And she is much like your sister. She does things in her own way and of her own choosing, and sometimes she does not entirely think things through before she acts. Not to mention that she is only seventeen and still lacking much in maturity."

Eomer sat down heavily in a chair, and retorted, "There is still the matter that he has been seeing her behind our backs! If they are in love, why are they sneaking around?"

Lothiriel sighed and moved to stand beside him, stroking his head, "I do not know. Perhaps because she is so young and they feared you would not approve. Eomer, I want you to promise me you will stay calm and rational when you speak with him. While it is true he should not have been courting her without our knowledge, he still has behaved honorably. He would not betray his king, he would not betray us by running away with her and he has ever been honest when it would have been easier to hide the truth. You recall he came to us when they were attacked on their picnic. If neither he nor Theodwyn had mentioned it, nothing would have tied them to that man's death and we might never have known of the matter. But he was too honest to keep it secret, and he wanted to be sure we knew of the fright Theodwyn had suffered. He is a good man, my love. Give him a chance to explain things, and listen with an open mind."

Eomer rose and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms. "What would I do without you beside me to save me from myself?"

She smiled up at him, "You would do fine…eventually!"

The comment elicited the laugh she hoped for, and she stepped away. "While you talk to Freawine, I will talk to our daughter and try to find out why she has done this. It was unfair to us and to Freawine."

He nodded, calmer, and followed her out to the Golden Hall to await Freawine's arrival.

xxxxx

Gamling looked up, startled at the sight of his son approaching. "Freawine, what do you do here?" he asked.

"I sent for him," Eomer responded, entering the room.

Gamling glanced between the two men, and inquired, "Is there a problem, my lord?" His son stood stiffly at attention, and left it to the king to answer.

At length, Eomer said, "A private matter between the two of us. Do not concern yourself, Gamling." He meant for his words to alleviate any fears Gamling might have that Eomer's problem with his son would affect Gamling's position as Doorward, but he wasn't sure Gamling was reassured.

"Come with me, Freawine," he ordered, leading the way to his study. Freawine glanced at this father, but did as instructed.

Gamling was left staring after them, a frown creasing his face. He was so lost in thought, he did not immediately notice Elfwine come to stand beside him. With a sigh, Elfwine filled him in on what was happening, and his scowl deepened, but he could only await the outcome of their meeting.

Almost the instant the door was closed and Freawine seated, Eomer turned on him.

"How long have you been after my daughter?" the king growled.

Freawine looked down at his boots and contemplated if honesty was wise, but he could see no good coming of it if he lied and was found out. With a deep breath, he answered, "I have been in love with her for several years. But I have not spoken of it or approached her with my feelings. It is only in the past three months that she has developed affections for me in return."

Eomer's eyes narrowed, "Did Elfwine know about this? The two of you are good friends."

The young man shook his head emphatically, "No. I have never told anyone of my feelings."

"She is just a child!" Eomer roared.

Freawine gulped, but tried to remain calm, "I know that, my lord. But one day she no longer will be."

"I would not allow her to marry before she is one and twenty – at the earliest!" Eomer snapped.

Freawine nodded, "And I will wait, however long it takes. I have only been waiting for her to catch up."

The king's head jerked up in surprise, "Who told you to say that?"

Confusion etched Freawine's countenance, "My lord? I do not understand. Who told me to say what?"

"That you are waiting for her to catch up," came the response.

Freawine shook his head in bewilderment, "No one told me to say it. I was only speaking the truth. Theodwyn has long thought of me as nothing more than her brother's friend. I have been waiting until she was old enough for me to express my feelings, and see if she could feel the same."

He hoped his answer was sufficient, but the king still seemed to be looking at him strangely.

"Remain here. I must confer with my wife." Eomer strode hastily from the room, disconcerted by their debate.

xxxxx

Lothiriel took a deep breath before knocking on her daughter's door. It was snatched open almost immediately by her rather angry daughter. Theodwyn came to a startled halt at the sight of her mother, then stepped back and waved her into the room.

Lothiriel swept past her and turned from her place in the middle of the room, eyeing her daughter sternly. "It would seem some of your plans earlier this evening were thwarted. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Theodwyn's breath caught in her throat, wondering how her mother could possibly know what had happened. Cautiously, she asked, "What do you mean, Mother?"

Lothiriel let out a sigh and crossed her arms, "Do not play games with me Theodwyn. I know of your plans regarding Freawine. What could you possibly have been thinking?"

Theodwyn turned nervously away, and tried to divert her mother's attention with a question, "How did you find out?"

"Theodwyn," her mother said warningly, "I want answers, not your silly little smokescreen questions. What has been taking place between you and Freawine? Your father is ready to kill the boy, and if I do not get a complete explanation from you, I just may let him do it."

Theodwyn whirled to face her, "No! It is not Freawine's fault!"

Lothiriel only looked at her impatiently, waiting for more.

Sitting down resignedly on the side of her bed, she began to pour out the entire tale. "We are in love, Mother. We have been seeing each other for a few months now. I wanted to ride to Aldburg and be wed, but Freawine would not do it. He wants to marry only once we have gotten yours and Father's blessing."

"What makes you think you are ready for marriage?" Lothiriel questioned. "How have your actions demonstrated your love for Freawine and your readiness to be his wife?"

Theodwyn could not miss the tone of her mother's voice, and it made her pause before responding.

Lothiriel continued quietly, "Those who truly love do not try to coerce the one they love into doing things that are wrong. They do not use their love as a weapon to manipulate another person. They would be proud of their feelings and willing to defend them, rather than sneak away in the night to avoid possible contention or disapproval."

With a sob, Theodwyn flung herself into her mother's arms, "What have I done? Freawine will never speak to me again! Oh, Mother, I am so sorry!"

With a slight smile her daughter could not see, Lothiriel rubbed her back soothingly, "If he is a young man in love, I would not be so sure he will not speak to you. And, fortunately for you, he has more maturity than you now possess. I think he might be willing to forgive you, especially if you admit your error and apologize."

She pulled back so she could look her daughter in the face, "You also owe your father an apology for trying to go behind his back and convince a fine man to betray his king. Your father loves you dearly, and it will be difficult for him to give you up to any man, but he is not unreasonable. If he refuses your marriage to Freawine, it will be for good reason."

Theodwyn sniffled and wiped at her eyes, "I will apologize – to both of them. And I apologize to you, too, Mother. I know I have behaved childishly."

Lothiriel stroked her daughter's head, "You are forgiven, dearest. And do not despair – I have not given up on you! Together we will work to prepare you so that some day you will be ready to marry, whether to Freawine or to someone else."

xxxxx

When he reached his daughter's bedchamber, Eomer didn't bother knocking, but charged into Theodwyn's room where mother and daughter stood wrapped in each other's arms. He noted his daughter's tear-dampened cheeks, then pulled his gaze to his wife. "Thiri, I must speak with you. Alone."

She caught the urgent tone in his voice and nodded, stepping away from Theodwyn. But Theodwyn could not wait to convey her apology and flung herself in her father's arms. "I am so very sorry, Papa! I should not have tried to sneak away, or talk Freawine into it. Please forgive me, forgive us!"

He stroked her head for a moment, then told her, "I must speak with your mother. We will discuss this later." He kissed her head and stepped away, taking Lothiriel's hand to pull her after him.

He led her to their bedchamber and closed the door, then dropped onto the side of the bed. He stared at the floor for a few moments, then looked up as she came to sit by him. "He told me he was waiting for her to 'catch up'," Eomer said quietly. He jumped up, "Why would he say that, of all things!"

"Perhaps because it is the truth?"

He whirled to look at her. "You do not think it odd that he chose those exact words? You do not think it a ploy to get in our good graces?"

Lothiriel stood and moved to him, placing her hands on his hips and looking up, "No. I do not. I think it is merely a coincidence. To the best of my knowledge, neither of us told anyone of what you said to me. There is no way he could know of it."

Eomer paced away from her. Finally, he declared, "He is too old for her! I cannot let him rob the cradle, no matter how good a man he is!"

Lothiriel's laughter startled him and he turned to eye her questioningly. "Eomer, he is twenty-five and she is seventeen!"

"Exactly!" Eomer exclaimed.

With a smirk, Lothiriel advanced on him. And you are fifty-four and I am forty-six. There is no difference, my love. Both you and Freawine are eight years older than the woman you love! Why should he not be waiting for her to catch up just as you had to wait for me?"

Eomer was disconcerted by what she had said, but argued, "I was not referring to your age! That was completely different. And you were twenty-one!"

"Yes. And one day she will be also. He may be using the phrase differently than you did, but it is essentially the same. You could not marry me until I was ready – until I understood that I loved you. He could not marry her for that same reason, but in his case he also needed to wait until she was old enough. They have been friends before this, but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe he has ever done anything inappropriate with her. Indeed, she herself says they have only been seeing each other a few months. Yet, I think he has loved her much longer than that."

Eomer nodded, "He said as much. He said he has loved her for a few years, but said nothing to anyone until she showed an interest in him first."

Lothiriel moved to embrace him again, "He is a good man, Eomer. And he has proven himself honorable and true. And, frankly, I think he will be very good for her. He has the calm and sense and maturity that our daughter yet lacks, though hopefully she may still develop a bit more of each!"

She reached up and caught his cheek in her hand, "He will do whatever you ask of him. Do not make him give her up. Just set the terms of the courtship until you are satisfied that she is ready. You can trust him – possibly more than you can trust your daughter!"

Eomer could not hold back a smile. "You may be correct in that much, anyway. Very well, if you feel certain that is the correct course, I will abide your decision. Bring her to my study. We should talk to them both together."

xxxxx

Freawine was nervously pacing the floor of Eomer's study when the door opened. He skidded to a halt and was both startled and disconcerted to see the group that trooped inside. In addition to the king, they were joined by the Queen; Theodwyn, who glanced timidly at him before looking away; and his own father. Only Queen Lothiriel gave him a reassuring smile, but it did little to calm him.

The king directed everyone to be seated, though he himself remained standing and his wife went to stand with him, her arm slipped through his.

At length the king spoke, directing his first comments to Gamling, "Elfwine told you what is happening?"

Gamling nodded, "Yes, my lord." He offered nothing more, waiting to see what the king desired of him.

Eomer looked at Freawine, and said, "You love my daughter." It was a statement rather than a question.

"I do, my lord. Very much," Freawine confirmed, looking at Theodwyn who had taken the chair farthest from his.

"What are your intentions toward her?" Eomer asked, his voice slightly demanding now.

"I would have her for my wife, my lord, if you will allow it. I would have your blessing on our union."

Theodwyn let out a gasp and raised her hands to her face, relieved that he still wanted her after the way she had behaved and the trouble she had caused. Suspecting the reason for her reaction, he gave her a reassuring smile and a wink. It did not escape the notice of the king and queen.

"Theodwyn, would you have this man for your husband?" Eomer inquired tiredly.

"Yes, Father. I love him."

Eomer cleared his throat, and told the assembly, "My wife and I have discussed this matter, and though we are upset by what took place tonight," – he eyed Theodwyn meaningfully – "we believe what Freawine and Theodwyn have confessed to us about the matter. However, Theodwyn is far too young, and obviously too immature, to be married yet. From now on, the courtship will take place in a proper manner, properly chaperoned and there had better not be anymore attempts at sneaking away in the night, if you both know what is good for you!"

Theodwyn let out a squeal and ran to fling her arms around her father, "Thank you, Papa! Thank you, so very much! I promise never to do anything like that again!"

Both Freawine and Gamling had slowly risen, and Eomer eyed the boy over his daughter's shoulder. When she broke free to embrace her mother, Freawine stepped toward him and cleared his throat nervously, "My lord, thank you. I would never...I would not let anything..."

He struggled to find the words to convey what he wanted to say, but to his surprise, the king smiled in understanding and nodded, "I know. I have never had any reason to think ill of you. I was just angry about the whole matter, but I know it was more my daughter's doing than yours. You have conducted yourself well." Then to Freawine's utter shock, the king embraced him and gave him a friendly smile, and with a chuckle said softly, "I wonder if you truly realize what you are getting yourself into with her..."

Freawine shrugged, his face flushed with embarrassment, but replied, "I do know, but I think she is worth the trouble."

The king nodded in approval and then turned his eyes to his Doorward. "So, Gamling, it appears you and I will eventually be related." He paused, then added, "Though the truth is, we have long thought of you as family anyway, my friend." The two men also embraced, though a bit more awkwardly than the others had.

Happily, Theodwyn ran and threw her arms around Freawine, pulling him into a kiss before he knew what she intended. A moment later, her lips were suddenly peeled from his, and he opened his eyes to find the king holding his daughter around the waist, slightly off the floor.

"Rule number one in this courtship, I want none of that sort of thing. You will conduct yourselves in a dignified manner, and _if_ you behave, I _may_ permit a kiss or two!"

THE END


End file.
